I must say I have had a chance to think this post through a little of late. My feeling is that knit ties are fine, along with loafers and derbies with lounge suits.manton wrote:
One example: I used to hate square end knit ties.
One more example. I have always despised bluchers with a suit (except monks, not sure why the exception, but there we are.
This picture began to change my mind:
The thing is that the lounge suit - like all garments - comes in a wide range of different levels of formality. I think it is very important to remember their origins as out-and-out casual wear for beach and countryside. The Duke of Windsor is clearly wearing his pair of derbies at home - his attire is purely casual. Lounge suits are indeed for lounging around in. In his time memories of the true origins of the lounge were clearly more in people's minds. In fact, the lounge suit in the workplace was really a form of business casual in his day.
Like the lounge suit, ties too come in a range of different levels of formality. I love to wear knit ties in the summer with linen and cotton coats. I like the way they look more relaxed and casual.
However, just as I despise POW checks being worn as city wear, I equally frown upon derbies, loafers and knit ties being worn "in the city". That, I call slobwear. At least wearers of t-shirts and jeans have no such false pretensions about being properly dressed.